Amiga 4000D and original CyberStorm

[EzdineG]

Anyone familiar with the quirks of the original CyberStorm 1.1 in a 4000D with 3.1 roms?  

I can't seem to get the RAM module to detect any RAM.  Certain jumper combinations along with specific SIMMS will either freeze the machine right after the RAINBOW at boot or yellow screen the computer right at powerup.  With 4 32MB SIMMS and correct jumpering, the machine will actually boot, but without any additional memory detected.  If I install any fast RAM on the 4000 motherboard, it is a guaranteed yellow screen if RAM is also installed on the CS.  I've got the manual and have tried (seemingly) every combination of jumpers to no avail.  The system is solid with the motherboard fast RAM and nothing in the module.  There are not any cards installed at all in my 4000.  Perhaps this was a known issue with certain firmware or I'm overlooking something really obvious.

Any help would be appreciated.  

TIA,
Adrian

[X-ray]

Is the Cyberstorm overclocked? What crystal is on it?

[EzdineG]

It's in it's standard config right out of the box.  Appears to have a 25mhz crystal on it.  I didn't mention this earlier, but it is a 68060/50 board.

Thanks,
Adrian

[EzdineG]

Seems I've discovered the problem and fixed it.  

Out of 16 SIMMS of various sizes in my possession, it seems that my Cyberstorm
is only compatible with 2 of them.  I have to turn off "BURST MODE"
on the CS and set RAM access to slow, or I'll still get the yellow
screen, no matter what SIMM I use.  I've now been using the system for
hours since this discovery, and it is rock solid with a total of
64MB RAM.  All of these SIMMS work fine in a 1200 with Apollo '030 accel
and a DKB 2632.  

I guess the moral of the story is, the CS should be considered *VERY*
RAM sensitive.

Thanks!
Adrian

[patrik]

@EzdineG:

Do you get the same results with both FPM and EDO SIMMs?


/Patrik

[EzdineG]

Actually, I have such a hard time finding SIMMS that the CS will accept I don't have enough to make a real comparison.  I'm at a total of 38 SIMMS of various sizes, makes, configurations, etc., and only 3 of them will work in the CS.  It seems that only LG chips work for me.

Whatever the difference, this thing is fast!  Rock solid, too.

Adrian

[Brian]

If I'm not mistaking the CS1 only take FPM simms, not EDO. I belive you need slowmode turned on in case you're not using 60ns FPM simms only.

[EzdineG]

I wonder if that really is the case.  It would explain why
I have such a hard time finding memory for it.  Most of the SIMMS
I have are unmarked, but I can definitely vouch for the fact
that those marked "edo" definitely don't work.

Adrian

[Brian]

I distinctivly remember buying 32MB FPM simms for my CS1 becuase of heard compability issues with other simms and as far as I remember of what I've read it will only take PM/FPM simms and for higher speed you needed FPM 60ns simms.

[jeffimix]

I would just liek to be annoying and poitn out how accepting people are of this weirdness, then they complain about the A1 wanting registered sdr sdram dimms which are much easier to find these days... oh well.

[Brian]

Well.. the CS1 is old... and at the time when the card was made I'd guess there wasn't much anything else fast enough to chuse from?

Anyway... module built suck, jumpers needed to set for simmsizes suck, only taking FPM simms kinda suck. It's nothing like the later highquality Phase5 products.

[voxel]

Hi Adrian :-)

If I remember well, Cyberstorm MKI memory module needs four identical simms or two different pair of identical simms to works.

60ns FPM ram is prefered.

when using two pairs you must insert the simms in not adjacent simm slots or the card will not recognise the memory. same if you use two different sized pairs of simms, the bigger one needs to be in slot 0 and 3, the smaller one in 2 and 4.

Is this help?

[EzdineG]

Thanks for all the replies!  I appreciate the help.  I'm thinking the MK2 required pairs but the MK1 didn't.  Not sure, though... This weekend I'll be replacing the leaking clock battery in my 4000 (thanks Anachronism!) and will hit the SIMMS on the CS again.  I've eBay'd some fpm 32mb simms, so I'll put a definite end on the edo dilemma.

I'm amazed at how capable the 4000 with CS 060 was for it's time.  It "feels" like a 500mhz pc, and boots like one with a raid stripe of 10K WD Raptors.  I hope most of you get the opportunity to experience a similarly configured 'Miggy at one point or another.  It really makes one proud

Adrian